Landscape Shoes

by Jared Stephensen

Landscape Shoes were originally conceived as a response to a shoe repair store in Austin, TX on Congress Avenue, these shoes were meant to be an unexpected experience within the shoe store. They were installed on the shelves alongside new shoes for sale. Each pair of altered shoes had an imagined landscape built on them. The landscapes were a nod towards where the wearer may have worn them before having them repaired. They ranged from rocky mountain tops, tree lined fields, and rolling hills. 

Eventually, the project evolved into creating shoes for specific people using the landscapes of where they considered “home” as a reference point for the constructed landscapes. They became a way to speak about place, home sickness, and the desire to bring “home” with you wherever you go. 

Sanhills Institute invited Jared Stephensen to place these shoes at Walleymocs shoe store on Main St. in Rushville during the exhibition.

This project is sponsored by the Sandhills Institute and is part of a larger exhibition called Art aRound Town (Aug-Sep 2024).